Amanda's notes from our February SheSoul Sunday seminar planning session. Who else in the world gets to have meetings like this?!

When I first met with my mentor to talk about the initial concept of the SheHive he gave me a piece of sage advice...

“Don’t get too married to your initial concept. It will probably end up becoming something you never imagined it could be.”

My initial concept of the SheHive was a women’s-only leadership development program that included therapy, cohort-based coaching and yoga. And then I met Andrea and she brought a spiritual and artful eye to the SheHive that I hadn’t considered. She was all “an inspiration studio full of dream-pushing, truth-telling, freedom-seeking goddess warriors” to my “a classroom full of brave women having brave conversations about Intentional Change Theory and brain science and positive psychology.” (Sounds delightful, no?)

The marriage of Andrea’s warrior goddess and my scientist minds had me convinced that I had successfully heeded my mentor’s advice to not get too married to an initial concept.

This is the part where we all laugh heartily at my naiveté.

I forget from time to time (but never for long) that it has never truly been Andrea, nor I, that was going to define the direction of the SheHive - it was every woman that walked through our doors.

And define it they did!

Since we opened, nearly every event we have held has resulted in us talking about one of two things - the election and/or {{whispers}} the s-e-x. (I’m so getting stuck in your SPAM folder this week.) The election doesn’t surprise me… everyone’s talking about it (DC, here we come!). But {{whispers}} the s-e-x? I have to admit that I was a little shocked the first time it came up.

Happy as shit because I LOVE that we have created a space where women feel safe enough to discuss such things, but still… surprised. And I kept being surprised until one day I said out loud, “I think we need to find a sex therapist to come talk to us.”

Pussy Party attendees will be invited to submit questions about {{whispers}} the s-e-x ahead of time, online and anonymously and Christina will answer them when we all get together. We’ll have an interactive discussion and, because it wouldn’t be a SheHive event without a little glitter and glue, we’ll end our day with a sex-positive art project.

Now to bring it back full circle…

Never - never ever ever ever - did I imagine, when I sat down and drafted the first prototype of the SheHive that I would six months later be writing a letter to you about our upcoming class where you are invited to talk about your lady bits, much less memorialize them in glitter (for the record, not your actual lady parts - a representation).

Like, never.

But it makes sense to me. When I think of the biggest shame triggers I have in my life as a women - my body, my finances, my relationships - {{whispers}} the s-e-x ranks right up there with the biggest of ‘em. Talking about sex and intimacy out loud is among the bravest of the brave conversations we can have. (The glitter is just a bonus!)

So, my mentor was right…

The SheHive is not exactly what I was thinking all those months ago - it’s better. And it’s better because of every woman who walks in the door and dares to speak her truth out loud. Thank you to each and every one of you for pushing us to the most vulnerable of spaces. There is magic among these walls because of you…